


superhero

by T0TALLYSPIES



Series: the adventures of the okumura family. [2]
Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Ash Lynx Lives, Ash Lynx and Okumura Eiji in Love, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, M/M, Okumura Eiji Loves Ash Lynx, Protective Ash Lynx, Soft Ash Lynx, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:20:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28987716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/T0TALLYSPIES/pseuds/T0TALLYSPIES
Summary: "Pops, who's Ash Lynx?"The question felt as if it made the whole world stop and Ash stood by the door, frozen on his spot after he had finished locking the door.Ash eventually turned around and looked down at his six year old son who stared back at him with the same jade-colored eyes that're wide with curiosity whereas Ash just stood there like a statue, waiting for the ground to swallow him whole.Griffin wasn't supposed to hear that name— that name died long ago but due to a few slip ups from Sing along with him being called Boss back at Nadia's and Griffin's intelligence, it seemed as if fate wanted for his son to find out who Ash was back then."I-I… uh… Griff, I—""A superhero." A voice suddenly emerged from the kitchen and there, Eiji stood with a gentle smile on his face as he leaned against the doorframe."Ash Lynx is a superhero. He saved me a bunch of times back then." The Japanese repeated and that was enough for Griffin to turn his attention to his Otosan but it wasn't enough for him to drop the subject.**In which Griffin thinks that his Pops is a superhero but another hero seems to be on par with him.
Relationships: Ash Lynx & Okumura Eiji, Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Series: the adventures of the okumura family. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2126121
Comments: 15
Kudos: 133





	superhero

**Author's Note:**

> this is a continuation to "bundle of joy" this can be read as a stand-alone but feel free to read the first part of the series! 
> 
> REMINDER:
> 
> • italicized dialogues mean that they're speaking in japanese.

* * *

Sometimes, Ash found it funny yet incredibly unbelievable that he got to this point in life. Back then when he was just seventeen, he authorized his own gang, switched hideouts, slept with a gun underneath his pillow, tried to manage rations to feed not only himself but his boys, and kept breaking law after law while sleeping with the idea that he may not possibly live tomorrow— tomorrow was never promised to young Ash. But now, here he was, silently coloring with his firstborn son with the coloring book he bought for him when he went home from work. 

Ash found it amusing yet endearing that this was his life now. He didn't wake up knowing he had to add more blood on his hands. He didn't need to wake up and worry if Dino was going to snatch him back and be a whore at his club. Now, he woke up with a loving husband but he also woke up to a little rascal who would jump on their bed if Ash wasn't up yet. Now, Ash wasn't doing the duties of a fearsome gang leader but instead, he was doing the duties of being a good father to his kid. 

Griffin Jade Okumura was yet one of the greatest blessings he had ever received from the heavens above. Ash couldn't have asked for a better kid. Griffin was playful, mischievous, sometimes bashful, and very intelligent for his age. It seemed that Griffin was more like his Pops but also possessed qualities from his Otosan. For one, Griffin also has his Otosan's fluffy dark hair, loves Natto just as much and is very stubborn that Ash sometimes had to use his "gang leader" voice to get him to behave. Thankfully, it was enough for little Griffin to quiet down even though Ash greatly hates it whenever he had to resort in being stern with him. 

He and Eiji never agreed to spanking as a discipline mainly because they both didn't want Griffin to feel intimidated by them. But mostly, it was because they didn't want Griffin to know how it feels to be hit intentionally. Sure, Eiji may have been spanked by his Mom once or twice when he was being bratty as a kid, but Ash grew up in an entirely different environment where he often experienced what it was like to be hit only because it aroused his customers whenever they saw him cry. 

Ash silently vowed that Griffin would live a normal childhood, something that he never got to experience. There was no way in hell he would let Griffin experience the same shit he went through. He would gladly go back to his old life than let Griffin go down in the same path his Pops did and Ash would do it in a heartbeat as well. 

The blonde did his best to push away all those negative thoughts by ruffling Griff's dark hair that was getting a bit long. _He needs a trim,_ Ash thought. 

"Pops." Griff's voice broke Ash out of his thoughts, watching the kid look up at him with the same colored eyes as his. 

"What is it? Did you color past the lines again?" Ash teased and Griffin puffed out his cheeks the same way Eiji does whenever he isn't amused by Ash's teasing. Ash couldn't help but chuckle. For a moment there, Griffin looked like a spitting image to his Japanese husband. 

"I colored it _perfectly_ this time, Pops, you're a meanie." Griffin pouted but instantly dropped his pouty demeanor, completely forgetting about his Pops teasing him, "When I'm bigger, Pops, can I join the baseball team?" 

His words caught Ash off guard. Baseball. It had been a while since he heard the word, much less interacted with the sport for very obvious reasons. Ah, that's right. Ash was about the same age as Griffin when _it_ happened, or maybe he was a bit older than that. 

Ash gulped and let out a nervous chuckle, "Baseball, huh? What's the sudden interest, don't you wanna try other sports? I mean, baseball sounds boring, doesn't it?" 

The blonde felt guilty. It wasn't that he wasn't supportive of Griffin's choices. If anything, Ash would support him through **_everything._ **But even years of therapy sessions couldn't really help this unresolved fear of something bad happening to his son. The moment Ash held Griffin in his arms, he begged and prayed to whatever higher power it was out there to give Griffin a good life— to not let him experience things that Ash had. 

"But I want baseball, Pops." Griffin pouted, "I don't think it's boring! Remember when I was at Auntie Nadia's and played with Shorter? Uncle Charlie was watching baseball and it looked so fun!" 

Even Shorter's name caught Ash off guard, too. Right, he remembered that Kai had recently adopted the nickname _Shorter_ simply because Kai looked short for his age and he was always fond of Shorter's old sunglasses despite the scratches on the lenses. 

The hopeful look on Griffin's face was enough for Ash to cave in somehow. He couldn't possibly bear to shot his boy's request so firmly. The last thing he wants is to upset Griff and the last time it happened, Ash felt so hopeless and it was the time where the blonde didn't take Griffin out for ice cream. 

"Okay, buddy." Ash sighed and ruffled Griff's hair again, "You can join the baseball team once you're bigger." 

And the reaction Ash had received from the kid was something he'll remember forever. 

* * *

_"Otosan?"_ Eiji heard a little voice call out to him while he was putting away the dishes and turned around to see Griffin already well-bathed and wearing his Superman pajamas. 

_"What is it, Griff-kun?"_ Eiji replied in Japanese as he wiped his hands with a paper towel.

Griffin looked behind his back, as if to make sure if the coast was clear before he approached Eiji shyly while he was rubbing the back of his neck— a nervous tic of him that he somehow got from Ash. 

_"Does Pops hate me?"_ Griffin asked in Japanese, voice hushed as he looked at Eiji with those familiar green eyes. 

Eiji was taken aback by Griffin's question that he took a moment to make a move. Without saying a word, Eiji lifted his son up and carried him to the living room where they both sat down on the couch though Griffin was perched up on Eiji's lap. 

_"Why would you think that, Griffin? Your pops loves you so much— more than anything in the whole world. What brought this up, hm?"_ Eiji asked, his tone gentle and Griffin calmed down a bit when he felt as if his Otosan would be patient enough to hear his answer. 

_"He doesn't play baseball with me, always asking you or Uncle Sing to practice with me. Sometimes he'd take me to Uncle Alex and I'd play with Bones and Kong too but…"_ Griffin trailed off, bottom lip quivering as his eyes began to water, _"Pops never plays with me. Is he starting to hate me, Otosan?"_

Eiji could feel his heart breaking at the sight. And he felt his heart break at the fact that he knows exactly why Ash was avoiding baseball as if it was the plague. The thing was, he can't really explain the truth to little Griffin— nor would Ash even want for Griffin to know that part of him. 

_"Darling."_ Eiji put his finger underneath Griffin's chin and gently coerced his son to look at him, "Your Pops loves you so, so, so, so much. You are everything to him, the same way you are everything to me." 

Griffin sniffled and did his best to wipe his tears with the back of his hand, his cheeks flushed and Eiji almost chuckled at how similar Griffin looked from Ash. 

_"Why do you think Pops keeps fighting the monsters under your bed, hm? Why do you think he always takes you out for ice cream even when I say no?"_ The last sentence was enough to ignite a grin on Griffin's face, _"And why do you think he saved you from falling from that tree in the park if he hates you?"_

Griffin stayed silent and Eiji took the opportunity to push his boy's dark hair away from his face before he carefully wiped Griffin's tear-stained cheeks. 

_"The reason Pops doesn't play baseball with you is that… well—"_

"Pops isn't that good with baseball." A voice suddenly cut Eiji's sentence off and they both turned to see Ash at the bottom of the steps, wearing a black tank top and his favorite pair of pajamas that Eiji gave him when he first visited Japan. 

Griffin immediately wiped his tears away, a bit embarrassed that both his dads are seeing him cry. It wasn't that they shamed Griffin for showing weakness, it was just that in his head, Griffin wanted to be as strong as his Pops, who always seemed so collected and never once showed an ounce of weakness. At least not in front of him. 

"See, buddy, Pops isn't as amazing as you think he is. He's actually a bit flawed." Ash began and sat down next to his husband, "The reason I can't play baseball with you is that I… well…" 

Ash bit his lip nervously and Eiji put a comforting hand on his knee and looked at him with nothing but pure adoration. 

"Pops thinks of unhappy memories whenever he comes across baseball." Ash continued, "And those memories make Pops feel sad and— and scared." 

Griffin tilted his head to the side, confusion and curiosity written all over his face, "What did baseball do to you, Pops?" 

Ash let out a chuckle that Eiji quickly picked up as a nervous one, "Baseball and I never got along, buddy. I was never really good at it. I always miss the ball whenever it's thrown at me! I can never seem to hit it up until today. And when you said you wanted to play with me, well… I'm scared that I might just embarrass myself in front of you. After all, you're better at me in everything— even coloring." 

Griffin's eyes lit up at the praise, sadness seemingly vanished in a blink of an eye. 

"That's why I always ask Otosan and Uncle Sing to play with you because if you're gonna make it to the big league, you need to learn from people who are just as good and passionate about baseball. I really wish I was the one who would teach you, bud. But maybe there are other things I could teach you besides baseball. You wouldn't wanna embarrass yourself in front of loads of people if you missed the ball, right?" 

Griffin giggled and shook his head, grinning happily and showing his recently missing tooth. 

"Atta boy." Ash smiled and pinched his cheeks affectionately, "But… even if Pops isn't all that good, I don't mind playing catch with you. Catching is something I'm good at, at least." 

"Really, Pops?! You'd play catch with me?!" Griffin asked, a fuel of excitement rushing into his veins and Ash could have sworn his boy looked brighter than the sun and it was already night time. 

"Yeah, bud, I'll play catch with you tomorrow after work." Ash confirmed and the reaction he received ignited the familiar warmth in his chest. Silently, he wondered if this is what he would have looked like if his childhood turned out differently. 

When the three retreated to their respective rooms, Eiji waited for his husband in their room. It was his turn to read to Griffin before bed. It was a nightly ritual for the two of them— Ash would read to Griffin in English whereas Eiji would read to him in Japanese to further broaden his vocabulary and practice his native language. When Ash finally came to their room, Eiji took his glasses off and set it on their bedside table. 

"I'm proud of you." Eiji said, his voice soft as he took Ash's hand in his, "I know it must've been hard for you to keep on denying Griffin's wishes." 

"It was horrible." Ash would say, his thumb stroking random circles on Eiji's knuckles, "I only rarely say no to him unless I need to but I never continuously said no to him until now. I just… I-I thought I was over it, you know? You'd think I would've moved on after years of therapy but… I guess I stand corrected." 

"Ash. Trauma does not go away as easily as we hope it would be. I can only imagine how surprised and scared you were when _koneko_ expressed his interest in baseball." Eiji looked at his husband and he could perfectly see how glassy his eyes looked with unshed tears, "He loves you, Aslan. I've told you that countless of times before and I would always tell you that. Griffin sees you as a superhero, you know." 

That emitted a laugh from Ash, thinking it was just a lighthearted joke but he saw how serious Eiji looked when saying this causing him to pause for a moment, "Wait, what?" 

"Griffin thinks you are a superhero. Like Superman." Eiji explained with a smile and giggled at Ash's confused expression. 

"Me? Ash Lynx? Former gang boss and prostitute— a superhero?" Ash questioned in disbelief and Eiji frowned slightly at his husband's words. 

"Yes, you. Ash Lynx. Who hates Natto and is a pain to wake up in mornings. A superhero." Eiji confirmed, "Griffin hasn't told you that yet but it's quite obvious he sees you that way. I don't know if you notice how he looks at you." 

Ash scrunched up his face a bit and Eiji took it as a sign that he was quite oblivious to how his own son looks up to him. 

"Well, for one, he is convinced you have superspeed. Remember that time when we were going to pick him up from school and he was playing at the monkey bars in the playground? He was about to fall but you instantly sprinted and caught him just in time. Griffin was so amazed, he didn't even cry at the possibility of falling on the ground." 

"I panicked, what if he broke a bone?" Ash reasoned. 

"He is also convinced you can read minds." Eiji added, "Remember when he was throwing the biggest tantrums ever but you somehow guessed all of the things he wanted to do. He found that so cool that he kept asking you questions on what his favorite color and food is." 

"Baby, he's my son, it's quite easy to read him and observe what he finds interests in." Ash sighed but Eiji has a fond look on his face. 

"He also thinks you have super strength. Remember that time we stopped by at the gym when you were working out with Sing? Griffin saw you lift up these heavy weights and when he tried it himself, he couldn't lift it." 

"He's a kid, of course he can't lift it yet." Ash pointed out, a faint blush now appearing on his cheeks. 

"Griff also watched you box that day and he never once took his eyes off of you. He said your punches are so strong, even Superman wouldn't stand a chance." 

Ash stayed silent this time, an apparent cherry-stain could be found on his cheeks and Eiji couldn't help but lean in and press a kiss on it. 

"And I agree with Griffin. You did save my life a lot back then." The Japanese smiled and Ash huffed, trying to keep himself from looking as ripe as a tomato. 

"Eiji, superheroes are righteous, almost perfect. I… I'm not like that. I've killed people, I was used and got my innocence taken away from me when I was Griff's age. I killed my bestfriend. No type of hero does that." 

The older man pressed his hand gently against Ash's cheek and turned his face to look at him, "And you are forgetting heroes can be flawed too. No hero is perfect, they have their struggles and do things they would not normally do. They also lose people in their lives. You are Griffin's greatest hero and I don't think anybody could change that." 

Ash sat there, a lone tear slipping down his cheek as he looked at his husband as if Eiji was the one who put the stars in the sky. And for a moment, Ash wanted to believe he could be the hero that Griffin sees in him. 

* * *

It was rare for little get-togethers to happen but the Okumura's never passed it up. In fact, it became a tradition for everyone to meet up and organize a little party and sometimes, if the budget let them, they'd all go on a little vacation. For this year though, the party get-together was held at Nadia's place and to say that Griffin was ecstatic would be an understatement. 

Griffin, Nadia's son, Shorter (Kai) and Sing's son, Zhen were known as the three musketeers even though Shorter is at least three years older than the two. It didn't matter, he treated the two as his bestfriends— Shorter is convinced they're brothers at this point. 

So far, everyone seemed to make it except Cain whose wife is currently going into labor. 

Griffin played to his heart's content with Shorter and Zhen while also taking breaks by eating and having a change of clothes whenever he got too sweaty. However, he noticed little things about the adults inside the room. For one, the drink they were drinking caused them to be more louder and carefree. Nadia's house eventually got rowdy with Griffin's Uncles and Aunts laughing and sharing stories with one another. 

The dark haired boy actually liked it when they were noisy like this. It wasn't the type of noise that was disturbing or put him in an uneasy situation but it was the type of noise he could hear forever. It was the type of noise that excused happiness and he could perfectly see how happy his Dads are whenever they reunite with friends. 

But Griffin is smart, you see and like Ash, he's quite the observant. He didn't miss the way Bones, Kong, and Uncle Alex called his Pops, _Boss._ And at one point, his Uncle Sing mentioned someone by the name of the **Great Ash Lynx** and that ignited a hint of curiosity in Griffin. 

Who's Ash Lynx? And why does he have the same name as his Pops?

But before he could ask, Shorter called Griffin and ushered him to go upstairs with him in his room. And for a moment, he forgot about his question. 

  
  
  


The night was long but it was a night filled with nostalgia, good drinks, and happiness. Though it was around midnight when they finally got home, the Okumura's still seemed to be full of energy. It had been a while since they all got together like that though it was a shame that Cain didn't get the chance to go but they all wished him good luck with their third child— it's a girl this time. 

Once they were all well-bathed and changed into their pajamas, Griffin watched his Pops locking up the front door. It was way past his bedtime but little Griffin couldn't sleep without feeding his curiosity, at least. So, as he stood at the bottom of the stairs, he took a deep breath and asked.

"Pops, who's Ash Lynx?" 

The question felt as if it made the whole world stop and Ash stood by the door, frozen on his spot after he had finished locking the door.

Ash eventually turned around and looked down at his six year old son who stared back at him with the same jade-colored eyes that're wide with curiosity whereas Ash just stood there like a statue, waiting for the ground to swallow him whole. 

Griffin wasn't supposed to hear that name— that name died long ago but due to a few slip ups from Sing along with him being called Boss back at Nadia's and Griffin's intelligence, it seemed as if fate wanted for his son to find out who Ash was back then. 

"I-I… uh… Griff, I—"

"A superhero." A voice suddenly emerged from the kitchen and there, Eiji stood with a gentle smile on his face as he leaned against the doorframe. 

"Ash Lynx is a superhero. He saved me a bunch of times back then." The Japanese repeated and that was enough for Griffin to turn his attention to his Otosan but it wasn't enough for him to drop the subject. 

"H-He did?" Griffin asked, eyes wide with eagerness and curiosity and Eiji chuckled at the sight before nodding. 

"Mhm, he did. Otosan was such a klutz when he was younger that he was always being saved by Ash Lynx. It's a miracle he never got tired of saving me. I owe him my life." Eiji explained whereas Ash just stood there, dumbfounded and completely at a loss for words. 

"Does he help people like Superman?" Griffin asked and Eiji nodded without missing a beat. 

"Ash Lynx is very just, Griffin. He helps those who deserve his help but is very scary to those who defy him and dare to hurt the innocent. That's why Bones, Kong, your Uncle Alex, and even your Uncle Sing look up to him. Ash Lynx helped them too." 

"Where's Ash Lynx now?" Griffin wondered out loud. 

"Well… he's still around but he doesn't go by Ash Lynx anymore. Actually, he's _very_ close but Ash Lynx likes his privacy so he goes by a different name now." Griffin nodded slowly at the explanation. 

"Do you keep in touch with him still? Does Pops know him?" 

Eiji smiled fondly at this, "Ash Lynx is a dear friend of mine and I like to think he gets along well with your Pops. But again, he likes his privacy so even if we're still in touch with him, he's probably elsewhere right now." 

There was a moment of silence after that. 

"He must be a very brave superhero then. I hear that superheroes tend to go through such hardships before they turned into superheroes. Like Superman! He lost both his parents and his real dad. That must be hard. Ash Lynx seems very brave." Griffin would ponder but then he beamed up at Eiji. 

"But Pops is a better superhero! I bet Ash Lynx has nothing on him!" Griffin looked back at Ash who was standing there throughout the whole ordeal still. Looking off-guard and speechless. But somehow, his cheeks flushed a bright shade of pink at his son's words and smiled down at him. 

"For a moment there, I was worried you'd replace me for Ash Lynx." The blonde chuckled and finally managed to move away from the door. 

Griffin shook his head and grinned, "Nope! Ash Lynx may be cool but you're cooler, Pops! Plus, you play catch with me and you always chase out the monsters under my bed. I bet Ash Lynx can't do that." 

Ash crouched down in front of Griffin and couldn't help but press a firm kiss on the boy's forehead before pulling away. 

"Yeah, he can't do that. Plus, I heard he's scared of pumpkins." Ash whispered the last part to Griffin, causing the little boy to giggle at the revelation until he was hit with a realization. 

"Aren't you scared of pumpkins too, Pops?" 

Ash sat there, a bit surprised by his son's question before glaring at Eiji who was giggling behind them. 

"I guess he and I have some things in common." 

"Don't worry, Pops, you're still my favorite superhero." Griffin said with a grin on his face. 

  
  
  


Maybe it was true that Griffin saw Ash as his greatest hero. Because looking at the drawing his boy made caused Ash to feel a familiar warmth in his chest. Pinned up on the bulletin board of his office was Griffin's recent drawing of his favorite superhero along with a short description about him.

NAME OF SUPERHERO: **ASLAN JADE CALLENREESE-OKUMURA**

_I like Superman but my Pops is my favorite superhero. There's no one braver than he is._

**_Strengths:_ ** _Otosan. Me. Coffee. Avocado and Shrimp Salad. Otosan._

 **_Weakness:_ ** _Otosan. Pumpkins. Mornings. Otosan._


End file.
